Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 1, 2018

The National Park Service has announced their peak bloom prediction: March 17-20. That would make for a very early bloom. You can find more information, including explanations of what it means and what to expect, here.

The cherry blossoms are done for 2018. They reached peak bloom on April 5. It's still too early to know precisely when they will bloom in spring 2019, but when there's new information to share you can find it here.

Around the Tidal Basin this morning, the buds are clearly making progress. And, as usual, the so-called indicator tree is marching ahead of the others. It's typically a week to 10 days ahead.

Stay tuned for the National Park Service's peak bloom prediction to be announced at a press conference later this morning. I'll post an update when they announce it, and you can of course always find the latest predictions on the peak bloom page.

The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang prediction is March 23-27.

Peak Bloom Forecasts

The National Park Service will be announcing their peak bloom forecast later this morning.

The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang posted their own peak bloom prediction a few days ago. They're predicting that peak bloom will come "during the window between March 23 and 27 this year, centered on the 25th."

As always, you can check in with the peak bloom page to get the latest forecasts.

Temperatures So Far

February closed out 6.3 degrees above average. That's what has helped the cherry blossoms, along with the area's other flowers, get a jump start on spring.

Here's how we've been tracking for the winter compared with the previous few years.

March for Our Lives Rally

The rally's organizers are planning for up to 500,000 people to attend. While DC handles big events in its stride, that's likely to create a lot of competition for hotel rooms that weekend. So if you're planning to come into town then, it's probably best to book sooner rather than later.

For Photographers

Gear Deals

B&H Photo has some really good deals at the moment on everything from cameras and lenses to tripods and lighting. These are running through March 3 to coincide with the WPPI conference.

Cherry Blossom Photo Tours

Walking photo tours can be a great way to learn some new photography skills with the help of experts. And photo tours for the cherry blossoms can take advantage of expert local knowledge to know where to be when to get the best light and vantage points.

If you're looking to do a photo tour while you're visiting, there are a few options. The best place to start is with Washington Photo Safari, but there are also some other options, which you can find on the DC photo tours page.

Most of these tours are limited to small groups, so it's a good idea to book well in advance if you can. Of course, that also means rolling the dice in terms of when the cherry blossoms will be in bloom.

Renting Photo Gear

If you're looking to rent some gear, whether something specialized or just to try out something different, I can recommend both BorrowLenses and Lens Pro to Go. They're the ones I typically use when I need something specific for a client shoot or am just curious about trying something out. Lens Pro to Go currently has 15% to 25% off through March.

Latest Development Milestone

Supporting the National Mall

If you’d like to help support the National Mall area, one option is to contribute to the Trust for The National Mall, an official non-profit partner of the National Park Service. The Trust is dedicated to marshaling private support for maintaining and improving the history National Mall. You can find more information on their website. I’m not affiliated in any way with the Trust–just an admirer of their mission and work.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here: If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.